In general, the invention relates to a discharge chute for a concrete mixer vehicle and, in particular, to a telescopic extension chute for such discharge apparatus.
Typically, concrete mixer vehicles have a discharge chute mounted beneath the discharge opening of the mixer for directing the concrete or other mix material from the vehicle to the desired deposit point. One end of the chute is pivotally mounted at the opening of the mixer for pivoting about a vertical axis for swinging from side to side, and for pivoting about a horizontal axis for changing the angle of inclination of the chute to achieve the appropriate elevation of the discharge end.
In most conventional concrete mixer trucks, a section of the discharge chute is permanently mounted with its upper end at the mixer outlet and its lower end supported by an extendable element such as a hydraulic piston and cylinder for varying the angle of inclination. A second shorter section of chute is pivotally mounted on the extending first end to fold over on top of the first section for storage. In the folded condition, the chutes are in sufficiently compact relationship for both on and off highway operation of the vehicle. Normally, the vehicle carries one or more additional sections of discharge chute which may be hooked onto the extending end of the second chute to provide the desired length. Due to the extreme weight of the concrete handled and the rough conditions of use, these chutes must be of necessarily heavy construction.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the position of discharge to change during the pouring of a load of concrete such that the length of the discharge chute must be varied. This requires the operator to manually add and remove the discharge chutes that are carried on the vehicle with the associated delay and substantial effort required. Moreover, the plurality of chute sections can not be left assembled in their extended condition during transit since they would extend beyond practical and legal limits. Thus, the sections must be removed from the permanently attached chute and mounted at some other location on the vehicle.